Irene Marie Nasi, 86, of Pine Lake in the Town of Oma, passed away
peacefully on Monday, Nov.18, 2013, at Villa Maria Health and
Rehabilitation Center in Hurley, with loving family members at her side.
The former Irene Traynor was
born on Nov. 24, 1926, in New York City, to parents Thomas A. Traynor and Mae
Neubert. Irene's first eighteen years were spent in Maspeth, Queens, N.Y. She
graduated from Grover Cleveland High School in 1944 and was a member of the
Arista Honor Society. After graduation at 17 years of age, she worked as a
Western Union telephone operator for New York Bell. This was during World
War II and she handled many high
priority calls, one of the most noted was General Omar Bradley, the U.S. Army
field commander in North Africa and Europe, calling the President of the United
States. She also worked part-time at the Thomas Bread
Company until 1946, at which time she moved to Montreal, Wis. She moved to
Hurley in 1953 and then to the Pine Lake cottage in 1987.
Irene married Ero L. Nasi on
Feb. 11, 1945, during a ceremony held at St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church
in Maspeth, N.Y. It was a war-time wedding and the event was planned in 11 days
as Ero was in the Navy and was to be shipped overseas. After the war, they
returned to Ero's hometown of Montreal. Family stories of her first years in the
Northwoods have already delighted several generations. In 1946, they started Ero
Nasi Construction Company and she participated until her retirement in 1985.
Later, she worked part-time in the offices of Caring Home Health and Caring
Caregivers Inc, retiring again at the age of 81 in 2008. She also sold Avon from
1989-2011.
Irene was a member of St. Mary's
Catholic Church in Hurley and its Council of Catholic Women, served as
past president of the Hurley Women's Club and Hurley Lionettes, and was a
current member of the Oma Women's Club. She skied on the National Ski Patrol for
20 years, two years at White Cap Mountain and 18 years at Powderhorn
Mountain .
Irene enjoyed downhill and cross
country skiing, skating, water skiing, swimming ( she was often the first one in
and the last one out of the water), boating and camping. She was an avid reader
of books, magazines and newspapers, and we will be reading her clipped out
articles and recipes for many years to come. She truly enjoyed people of all
ages and loved to converse with others on a wide array of topics, such as
health, history, fashion, books, movies, current events, travel, business,
and humorous family and friend stories. She thrived on get-togethers,
parties, celebrations and outings with family and friends, but also was
totally at peace in the quiet and solitude of her beloved cottage.
Irene is survived by daughters,
Norene (Henry) Gilbertson, Hurley, and Debra (Michael) Kraus, Marshfield; a
son, John (Joan Donaldson), Pine Lake; daughter-in-law, Ginger Nasi, Hurley;
grandchildren; Neil (Brooke) Gilbertson, Saxon, Nick (Jamie) Gilbertson,
Minocqua, Holly ( Brian) Sanborn, Chippewa Falls, Robyn
Nasi (Barney Hinch), Hurley, Cara (Brad) Pinardi, Woodbury, Mn.,
Westley (Nichole) Nasi, Gile, Monica Nyberg (Matt Steiner), Madison, Taylor
Kraus, Madison, and Spencer Kraus, Marshfield; great-grandchildren, Bryce
and McKenna Gilbertson, Ty, Saylor and Bodyn Gilbertson, Brenna, Bruce and
Olivia Sanborn, Vivian and Marco Pinardi, and Olivia Steiner; a brother,
Roy Traynor (Dawn Troyer), Elcho and Wausau; cousin, Jack
Susenburger, Herkimer,
N.Y.; brothers-in-Iaw, Arne (Donna) Nasi, lronwood, Mich., Larry Nasi, East
Alton, Ill, and George (Verna) Nasi, Pence; sisters-in-law, Ella
Stein, Milwaukee, and Beverly Nasi, Montreal; and many very special nieces
and nephews.
Preceding her in death besides
her parents were her husband, Ero, on Dec. 8,
1988, after 43 years of marriage; a son, Brian T., on April 4, 2004; b rothers-in-Iaw, Howard, Donald
and Nilo Nasi, and Clarence Stein; and sister-in-law, Betty Traynor.
As per Irene's wishes, cremation
has taken place.
A
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, Nov. 30, at 11 a.m.,
preceded by visitation beginning at 9 a.m., at St. Mary's Catholic Church
in Hurley, with the Rev. Frank Kordek OFM, celebrant.
Rite of Committal and interment will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Hurley, in the
spring.
Lunch will be served at the Iron Nugget in downtown Hurley immediately following
the service.
Arrangements have been entrusted to
McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home and Cremation Services of lronwood, where
online condolences may be expressed at mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com.
Irene left this newspaper
clipping for all of us:
To
Those I Love
: If I should ever leave you whom I love,
To go along the silent way, grieve not,
Nor speak of me with tears,
but laugh and talk
Of me as if I were beside
you, for
Who knows, but that I shall
be oftentimes?
I'd come, I'd come, could I
but find a way!
But would not tears and
grief be barriers?
And when you hear a song I
used to sing,
Or see a bird I loved-let
not the thought
Of me be sad, for I am
loving you
Just as I always have ...
You were so good
To me .... So many things
to say to you ....
Remember that I did not
fear ... Twas
Just leaving you I could
not bear to face ....
We cannot see Beyond .... But this I know;
I loved you so-twas heaven here with you!
Isla Paschal Richardson